Make your home allergen-free

Allergy season is back, and another miserable year for the “wheezes and sneezes” is being predicted. Kids of all ages — from babies to teens — are vulnerable to things like dust, hay fever, pollen, and mold. You may not be able to control the outdoors, but you can control your indoor living spaces, turning them into allergy-free zones.

Robin Wilson is a healthy space designer and head of Robin Wilson Home. She is an ambassador for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America and has a hypoallergenic bedding line at Bed Bath and Beyond.

She says most parents don’t realize that their home is probably making their kids sick, but there are simple solutions to help.

Her tips:

• Make sure your children use synthetic pillows instead of feathered ones, and anti-allergen or hypoallergenic pillow cases and covers. Wash the pillow case once a week, the pillow protector at least once a month, and wash the pillow at least twice a year. Replace your children’s pillows every three years.

• Don’t use a vinyl shower curtain in your child’s bathroom, because it holds mold more easily, which could lead to off-gassing (the release of a chemical, especially a harmful one, in the form of a gas). Instead, choose a nylon curtain.

• Use non-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints in your child’s bedroom, which won’t off-gas, leave an obnoxious paint odor, or stir up asthma or allergies. It looks just as good on the wall as regular paint.

• Avoid wall-to-wall carpeting in your child’s bedroom. Tile and hardwood floors are a much better choice, but must be cleaned on a regular basis to eliminate dirt and dust. Shake out and vacuum area rugs on a regular basis as well. Use a vacuum with a high-efficiency particulate air filter.

• Watch for mold in your child’s sinks and bath drains. Other likely places in the home to find mold is in dishwashers and refrigerator pans.

• Use slip covers on sofas and chairs that can be washed regularly to eliminate dirt and dust. This is especially important if your children spend a lot of time reading or watching TV in the living room.

• Keep pets out of your child’s bedroom and definitely don’t ever let them on the bed. Pets should be bathed often to reduce dander.

• Make sure your children take their shoes off before coming inside. This prevents the outside world from coming in.

Please consider these simple ways to make your home cleaner and safer, which will help reduce children’s allergies.

Relevant Directory Listings

See More

EBL Coaching

<div> <p>One-on-one HOME, CENTER, and ONLINE tutoring for grades preK-12 in reading, writing, math, study skills, executive functioning skills, and homework help. EBL offers specialized instruction for students with dyslexia, learning disabilities, and ADHD, including tutoring using the Orton Gillingham method and other research-based, multi-sensory techniques. Under the direction of their director, Dr. Emily Levy, each student is evaluated to determine his or her specific needs and is then matched with one of EBL's highly trained learning specialists.</p> <p><strong>Individualized Learning Plan</strong></p> <div> <div> <p>An individualized learning plan using research-based, multi-sensory techniques is created for each student. Sessions can be held either at EBL's learning center or at the child's home, or online.</p> </div> <p><strong>Students build skills in:</strong></p> </div> <div> <div> <p style="padding-left: 40px;">-Decoding & Spelling<br /><br />-Sentence, Paragraph, & Essay Writing<br /><br />-Multi-sensory Math<br /><br />-Reading Comprehension<br /><br />-Study & Executive Functioning Skills<br /><br />-Test preparation<br /><br />-Time Management & Organizational Skills<br /><br />-Early Childhood Learning Skills</p> </div> <p><strong>One-on-one instructional sessions</strong></p> </div> <div> <div> <p>Students receive one-on-one instructional sessions to teach them the fundamental skills that are essential for academic success. They are initially assessed to determine their strengths and weaknesses and academic levels, and are matched with one of EBL's highly trained learning specialists. Students develop core skills in reading, writing, reading comprehension, math, study skills, organization, test taking, note taking, and other executive functioning skills. As the academic demands of school rise, these skills become increasingly essential for academic success.</p> </div> </div> <div> <div> <h3>Dr. Emily Levy</h3> </div> </div> <p> </p> </div>

Westchester School for Special Children

<p><span style="color: #000000;"><span style="font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;">The </span><span style="font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;">Westchester School</span><span style="font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"> is a New York State approved, non-public </span><span style="font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;">school</span><span style="font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"> that provides educational and therapeutic services to students from New York City, </span><span style="font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;">Westchester</span><span style="font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"> County, Long Island, and Connecticut.  </span><span style="font-family: Roboto, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; background-color: #ffffff;"><span style="font-family: Lato, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">The school views all children, regardless of functioning level or handicapping condition, as children with potential for growth and development. Historically, educational programming, particularly for the severely handicapped was primarily concerned for easing the burden of those who cared for these children. Changes in legal standards and socio-philosophical perspectives made this an excessively limited and limiting approach. The rational for program and selection of educational objectives is based upon the developmental needs of the individual child.</span></span></span></p>

Windward School

<p><span style="color: #06111a; font-family: raleway, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; background-color: #ffffff;">A coed, independent day school exclusively for students with dyslexia and language-based learning disabilities, The Windward School enrolls students in grades one through nine. 98% of Windward students move on to mainstream schools after completing The Windward School's academic program. The Windward School is nationally recognized for its development of instructional programs designed specifically to help students achieve language proficiency. The School’s academic curriculum is research-based and multisensory in nature and is designed to give students the skills they need to succeed in school and return with confidence to mainstream educational settings.</span></p>